Apparatus for handling lifeboats



, J. W.-WILSON.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING LIFEBOATS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12,1920. 1,41 1,320, Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

. 4 SHEHS-SHEEI I.

J l r Q i915 m 1 INVENTOR awn/v 5- AW/[6 Ail/124601 7201b 50 v v I. I ATTORNEYS J. W. WILSON.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING LIFEBOATS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12. 1920.

1,411,320. Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET Z.

a Q '2 1 T mvmon WITNE E8 f s JWZIS W W150 a, N M ATTORNEYS J. W. WILSON.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING LIFEBOATS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12,1920- 1 Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

mvmron 1/1/7175 W Maw ATTORNEYS w E8858 OK J. W. WILSON.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING LIFEBOATS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12,1920.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

4 SHhH'SSHEET 4.

IN VE/V TOR nmsm A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES JAMES -WILLIAM WiLSON, OF NORTH PORT, YOR K.

'ar'rnnn rus Eon HANDLING LIFEBOATS.

' Application filed my 12,

To all whom it may concern:

' 1 I Be it known that 1, JAMES W. WViLsoN, a

- paratus for be launched.

citizen of the United States, and resident of North Port, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented new and Improved Apparatus for Handling. Lifeboats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.. This invention relates to life savingde vices and has particular relation to an apship. I

In devices of this nature now in general use, davits are commonly employed which are adapted to be swung to position theboats along sideof the deck where thepassengers and crew are then loaded and the boats loweredto the water. Many lives have been lost due to the fact that the boats'are loaded after the same are suspended from the ships 7 side and due to the fact that each endof the boat is suspended and operated by "a separate means. r p I The principal object-therefore of the present invention'is to overcome the above recited'objections by the provision of-an ap-' paratus which permits of the loading ofthe boats before the same are projected from the ships side and the provision of a common means for lowering both ends of the boat by single mechanism.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a single apparatus for handling a plurality of boats in superposed relation thereby reducing the expense in that a single apparatus is capable of launching a number of life boats. i

' A further object accomplished by the invention resides in the novel means .for cradling the boats when not in use which means obviates thenecessity of first raising the boatsto permit-of their projection from the side of the ship.

A still further object of the invention resides in the highly eflicient, safe and ex peditious manner with which the boats may Another feature of the invention resides in the economy" of the number of thecrew vide' a device of the character described Specification of Letters ram.

handling life' boats on board" Patented Apm, 1922. 1920. Serial 1%. 395,446.

whichis comparatively simple in construe tion, inexpensive to produce and install and which is strong, durable and efficient in op'- BIatLOII."

device is better understood, reference is bad to'the following detailed description, claims and accompanying drawings forming apart of this application and in which- 1 Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectionalview through a portion of a shipillustrating the apparatus applied thereto and in normal p0 sit-ion. I

Figure 2 is a similar position of theapparatus when the life boats are projected from the 'ships side and inpojsition for launching.- j Y Figure '3 is a fragmentary taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure l. a y

Figure 4 is a fragmenta y plan View thereof.

' Figure 5 is a detail view of'oneof the Referring view illustrating the i sectional view of reference, 10 and 11 designate respectively' a portion of the upper and "lower decks of aship. In practice a pair ofparpreferably provided with a plurality of bearingrollers 15. The carriage 16 is preferably constructed from a rectangular'angle iron frame, the side rails 17 of which are designed to slide upon the'bearin'g rollers" 15." Thecarriage is aided and maintained against lateral disp 'acement by the guide rollers 18 supported in thebrackets 19 se; cured to the underside of the upper deck 10, said guide rollers engaging the outer surface of the side rails 17 ofth'e-frame. By this arrangement it will bejseen that the frame is arranged between the tracks 1 2 and the upper deck10 and is capable of projec tion beyond the ships side. Preferably a plurality of brace rollers 20 arejse'cr'u'ed to the upper'deck 10'and bear againstthe up- 35 340 of the hoisting and lowering tackle.

per surface of the side rails 17 to confine the lower surface of theside rails against,

the bearing rollers and brace the inner end of the 'carriage. The side rails are further provided with the rack teeth 21 which co-act with the pinions 22 keyed to the transverse shaft 23.- A sprocket 24 is keyed to one extremity of the shaft 23 and is coupled to the sprocket 25 by the'chain26'.

The sprocket 25 is mounted on a crank shaft 5 27 mounted in the bearing 28 secured to the upper deck 10 and a crank .arm 29 constitutes a means for manually rotating the sprocket 25. nBythis arrangement the carriage may be, manually projected from or retracted Within the ships side when desired. In

order to provide means to normally lock the carriage in its retracted position to prevent accidental projection of the same on heavy seas, a suitable brake30 is provided on the "shaft 23 adjacent the, sprocket 24, the operating handle 31 thereof being disposed'above the upper vdeck 10 adjacent the'crankhandle 29; The boat suspending means includes a pair of davits 32 and 33 secured to the side I :rails 17of theca'rriage adjacent its outer end rail 34. The davit 33 has mounted thereon means for controllingthe raising and lowering of the "boats and therefor in order to afford -suitable accommodation for the operator, a platform 35 having aguard railin 36 is provided adjacent thereto. The li e boats37 are each, provided at their bow and'stern with aneye bolt 38 which is adapted to receive the hook 39 on the fall block Independent means is provided for raising and lowering each boat which is of substantially identical construction. tackle for the upper life boat comprises the 1 cables 41 and 42. respectively trained over the fall blocks 40 at the bow and the stern. The cable 41 is trained overvan idler sheeve 43 in the davit 32 and over an idler '44 in the .davit 33, theremainder of said cable being wound upon the drum 45 keyed to the trans qwhich is. also; -keyed upon the shaft 46- ad.

verse shaft 46 in the davit 33. The cable 42 is trained over the idler sheeve 47 mounted in the davit 33 and the remainder thereof is wound'upon and secured'to the" drum 48 jacent'to the drum 45-. The outer end of the shaft 46 haskeyed thereto a gear 49 which meshes with the gear 50 on theshaft 51, the

outer extremity of which issquareas at'52 ,for the reception of a crank'handle (not shown) for-winding the cables upon the drums to raise the life boats when lowered. A suitable frictionidrum 53 is also secured to the shaft 51 and inner and outer brake hands 54 and 55 are normally; expanded and contracted thereagainst for locking the shaft against rotation. As illustrated the'means for effecting the gripping and releasing of. the outer hands against the drumtcomprises The hoisting the lugs 56 mounted on the outer band which i are provided with oppositely threaded and aligned openings 57 adapted to reeeive the oppositely threaded extremities 58 "of the shaft 59 having an operating handle 60. The inner band is controlled by the lever 61 whichis pivoted as at-62 with with an angularly disposed arm' 64, the extremity of which constitutesa common pivot point for thelinks 65. In practice the outer band serves as a permanent meansfor locking the shaft 51. against rotation while the inner band serves as a means for controlling the rotations of the shaft for gradually lowering and launching the life'boats. The lower life boat is supported and suspended from the davits by the cables 66 and '67 which are trained over the fall blocks 40 respectively arranged at the bow and stern of the same.

The cable 66 is trained over the idler sheeve 68 on the davit 32 and the idler sheeve 69 on the davit33, the remainder ofsai'dcable being wound upon the drum 70 keyedto the transverse shaft 71 mounted in the dav1t 33;

The cable 67 is wound directly on the drum 72' which is also keyed to the shaft 71'. A

gear 73 is keyed to the shaft 71 and mesheswith the gear 74 on the shaft 75. Theshaft 75 is provided with a squared extrem1ty7 6 for the reception ofacrank handle for turning the same, and a friction brake mechanism 77 identical to the friction brake mechanism employed on the shaft 51 is provided and operates ina similar manner.

In use and operation of the apparatus the carriage is "normally retracted to dispose upperboat being arranged on the upper decks and the lower boat on the lower decks the boats within thev side of the ship, the

spectively and are formed toprovide the loading steps 80 by whichithe passengers enter the boats. The outer cradle members 79 for the upper boat are pivoted to a common shaft 81 which is supported in brackets secured to the outer end rail'34 of the car- -riage. The outer cradle 'members for the lower boat are pivoted to a transverse shaft 82 secured to the outer-edge of the lower deck 11. Levers 83 are secured to the shafts 81 and 82 respectively for swinging theiouter cradle members to an out-of-the-way posi tron, said leversheing'normally locked'by suitable latches 84; l Vhen it is necessary-to launch the boats, the passengers first enter the same by the steps 80 and when the boats l have been filled, the outer cradle members79' areswung to an out-of-the-wayposition by the levers 83. One of the crew is stationed on the platform 35 and another mans the I projected from the side of the vessel through V scribed, means for cradling and-supporting the engagement of the teeth of the pinion 22 with the rack teeth 21 on the carriage When the'carriage'has been projected a suitable distance beyond the ships side, theman stationed on the platform will release the outer brake band of the brake mechanism 77 and swing the lever controlling the inner brake band to permit thelowermost boat 37 to descend. When the lower boat has been launched and the hooks 39 disengaged from the eye-bolts 38, the second boat will be lowered in a similar manner. If desired the carriage may be projected from the ships sides by power instead of manually from a central power station. The length of the carriage maybe suflicient to admit of a wide range of Patent 1. In an apparatus of the character delife boats on adjacent decks, a common means for simultaneously projecting said boats from the side. of a ship, and independent means for raising and'lowering each of said boats. i

2. In an apparatus of the character described, means for cradling and supporting a plurality of life boats respectively on the 1 adjacent superposed-decks of a ship, a common means for simultaneously projecting said boats from the side of the ship, independent means for raising and lowering each of said boats, and means for normally supporting the boats on the respective decks of a ship.

3. An apparatus for-handling life boats, comprising a sliding carriage normally disposed within a ships side and capable of projection therefrom, means on said carriage for suspending a plurality of boats in superposed relation, mechanism for independently actuating the suspension means to raise and lower said boats, and means for supporting said boats on the decks when the carriage is in its normal position.

4-. In an apparatus for handling life boats on a ship, means for supporting and suspending cent decks for cradling each ofsaid boats re spcctively on the decks, a common means for simultaneously pro ectlng the boats from the plurality of life boats in super-' posed relation, lndependent means on-adjaside of the ship, and mechanism for independently actuating the suspension means to effect the la'unchingot' said boats. y '5.'-An apparatus for the handling of life boats on'a ship, comprising-means from whichla'plurality of boats are suspended, mechanism for projecting said meansfrom the ships side, independent means for normally cradling and supporting each boat from the adjacent decks of the ship, means for releasing said boats from the cradling means, and means for independently launching or raising each of said boats.

6. A life boat handling apparatus comprising a carriage slidably mounted beneath one deck and over the next lower adjacent deck, mechanism for effecting theprojection of the outer end of the carriage from the ships side, davits on the outer end of said carriage, means for independently suspending and controlling the raising and lowering of a plurality of superposed life boats from said davits, and means on each of said decks for independently cradling the boats respectively from said decks.

' 7. An apparatus for handling life boats,

comprising means for individually cradling and supporting the boats in superposed relation on superposed supports, .a common means for' simultaneously projecting said dependently operable means for effecting the raising and lowering ofeach of said boats.

v8. An apparatus for the handling of life boats of a ship, comprising inner fixed mem bers secured respectively to superposed decks and outer pivoted members coacting therewith to constitute a cradle for normally supporting the boats from the decks, a carriage normally disposed Within the ships side and capable of projection therefrom, means for suspending a plurality of boats therefrom, independent actuating means for respectively effecting the raising and lowering of said boats by the suspension means, said carriage afi'ording means for simultaneously projecting said boats from the ships side, the said outer cradle members adapted to be swung to an out of the way position to permit of the projection of said boats from the ships side. 9. In an apparatus for the handling of life boats on a ship, the combination with a spaced inwardly slotted upper deck, of a carriage mounted for lateral sliding movement therebeneath, upstanding davits supported boats from the side of said supports, and in v 7 life boats, on a ship, the combination with a spaced inwardly slotted upper deck; of a can riage mounted for lateral sliding movement therebeneath, upstanding davits supported by the carriage and accommodated by the slotted portions of the deck, meanscn the upper deck and thedeck therebeneath for respectively cradlingflife boats, means for susthe same. J e

J WILLIAM; WILSON. 

